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Fitness

Testing Out: The Iyashi Dome

Posted on May 26, 2017

Now I like a sauna as much as the next person, it releases tension, water weight and of course helps you when you’re feeling slightly under the weather too, but heading into the Iyashi Dome at L’Atelier Aquafitness, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was in for…

Originating and inspired by a traditional Japanese technique called Suna Ryogo – a practice where the Japanese were burying themselves in the sand near the hot springs on a beach to eliminate toxins, the Iyashi Dome is a device using a unique technology that deeply cleanses the body, restoring balance and even said to provide somewhat slimming effects.

What it actually does in fact is emit vibrations of far-infrared rays from inside its carbon based dome – which is the same amount of infrared that we naturally produce, so not apparently a health concern (my first question). Interestingly enough, we actually generate our own far infrared rays, between 8-14 microns in fact. So when we are treated with more rays in this manner, they are naturally absorbed by the body (up to 40mm under the skin). These far infrared rays generate heat, hence the sauna-like effect.

The Iyashi Dome aims to stimulate your metabolism and trigger deep set sweating. I’m not entirely sure the concept of sweating whilst lying down is a key in losing weight, but the sweat you are said to lose on a number 10 switch is apparently the same amount as running 20kms (approx 1200 ml). Each session lasts for 30 minutes and whilst your head stays out of the Dome for comfort, the rest of your body is hidden but the towel covering the entrance, as you’ll have to strip off to get in.

One thing is for sure, it’s a great way of removing any nasty toxins, and is a great skin cleanser. Ultimately, the experience was also quite relaxing, although I could have down with a little reading material in there, as i’m used to burning my calories a little more dynamically.

Fitness

Waking Up With Roxy Fitness

Posted on May 11, 2017

What better way to kickstart the day, especially now the weather’s getting hotter, than an early start down by the sea. I’m totally a water baby and I love the way we get energy from it too, so when ROXY, a brand I haven’t seen in ages, calls us all in for a #RUNSUPYOGA event, i’m 100% in!

ROXY’s a brand I grew up with but I have to admit, I haven’t noticed much of their presence here in the region in a long time. Promoting their new activewear, which is surf to sand appropriate, we tested out their latest pieces down at sunset beach with Surf House Dubai.

Kickstarting the morning with a beach yoga session to wake up our tired limbs, we put our balance to the test before heading out in two groups for an SUP fit session with the Surf House team. Harder than it looks, even for the most practised SUP’er; balancing, squats, push up’s and burpees when there’s a few waves underneath you is a testing experience to say the least.

A brand inspired by both the mountains and the sea, it launched in 1990 with the first women’s specific boardshort inspired by Lisa Andersen, and have been mastering the art of fashionable surf wear since…

Fitness

Testing Out: Define Body

Posted on May 8, 2017

I though all barre classes were the same, that there was some governing body that decided which exercises best assaulted all your teeny-tiny muscle groups in one area of the body, at any one given time… and I wasn’t totally wrong. Barre is the name given to a stationary handrail that provides support for people during various types of exercise. Barre work is essentially any and all exercise that uses one, from ballet to booty.

So why is Define Body so different?

Well not only is their morning class taught by a 7-months-pregnant teacher, who will put all of you to shame working out just as hard as you are in the studio, but it also focuses on a much more cardio-based rhythm of movements. Defined as a “one-stop shop for the tone and length you’ve been looking for”. It’s very much a combination of pilates, yoga, ballet to form a bit of a HIIT workout. Also suitable for the boys…

The class aims to get your heart rate right up, whilst aiding the toning process with weighted exercises, standing work, and of course seated movements dedicated to working your core. It doesn’t, thank god, require too much dance, i’ve very little rhythm and almost 0 ability to follow direction too. It will however leave you swearing and sweating your way through a 1 hour session.

What does it help:

Develop proper alignment & form
Target all major muscle groups
Create leaner and longer muscle
Improve strength and flexibility
Get and stay in shape

Fitness

Testing Out: The Most Luxurious Gym In Dubai

Posted on May 1, 2017

Now I know what you’re thinking… why would you need a luxury gym? Surely you’re just going to be worried about sweating on all the nice furniture? Well this is what I thought, I worried that i’d be doing burpees on a white fluffy carpet before I got there. Let me assure you, The Gym, Dubai’s newest fitness hotspot is as high-tech and as white walled as the most luxurious hotel gym, without the hospital vibes.

I’m not a gym go-er per se, i’m more of a class/sport fan, but an hour with Maxine, one half of The Gym’s founding fitness PT’s, I was sold on the idea of one-to-one training. Not only did I get a much more concentrated session, but because the focus was all on me, I knew that the results would be tailored to fit also.

We focused on a HIIT workout that started with kettelbell swings, moved on to box jumps, pull up’s and burpees, as well as ladder push up’s and ropes… to name but a few and repeating this circuit twice.

The gym itself is set up into the different muscle group training areas – from arms, to legs and of course mixed fitness.

To top it all off, there’s the ‘Muscle Bar’, where you’ll get served with protein shakes, juices and of course healthy food for your post-session recovery. The bathroom too has got to be one of the most beautiful i’ve ever come across! From gilded shower’s to fully stocked parlours, you could get lost in there for hours!

Fitness

Testing Out: Tabata at Motion Fitness

Posted on April 24, 2017

You’ve probably heard the word thrown around and if you’re like me, you’ve assumed rather incorrectly that it was a form of either yoga, meditation or some sort of martial arts. Little did I know walking into one of Motion Fitness‘s classes last week, Tabata is actually a HIIT workout.

Discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. It all started as a science experiment with two groups of athletes. The first group trained at a moderate intensity level, while the second group trained at a high-intensity level. The moderate intensity group worked out five days a week for a total of six weeks; each workout lasted one hour. The high-intensity group worked out four days a week for six weeks; each workout lasted four minutes and 20 seconds (with 10 seconds of rest in between each set).

The results; Group 1 had increased their aerobic system (cardiovascular), but showed little or no results for their anaerobic system (muscle). Group 2 showed much more increase in their aerobic system than Group 1, and increased their anaerobic system by 28%! So all in all, soup two faired much better out of their seemingly smaller workouts.

I can vouch for the intensity level completely, what started as a normal kettle bell class turned into a sweaty circuit course that was honestly exhausting. From burpees to lunges, squat jumps and of course weights, it kept us moving and yet also gave us a bit of a break too, so naturally, i’m now hooked!

Fitness

Testing Out: Hapi Power Yoga

Posted on April 4, 2017

A cool new hotspot has opened up in Al Serkal (where else) that incorporates two of my favourite things… food and yoga. Hapi is Dubai’s newest power-hangout that houses a mixture of smaller brands, designed to keep you sticking around for longer. With Parkour and a funky new restaurant hosted by local chef, Paul Frangie, to Urban Yoga‘s zen escape upstairs, there’s something for almost every industrial creative in the area.

Not an exaggeration either… though many consider it to be “gym yoga,” Power Yoga is a fitness-based vinyasa practice. An offshoot of Ashtanga Yoga, it has many of the same qualities and benefits, including building internal heat, increased stamina, strength and flexibility, as well as stress reduction.

Whilst all the postures move at a comfortable speed, there’s always room for improvement… with a variety of yogi levels in the class, we’re given options as to our flexibility, confidence and personal practices. Pushing yourself in yoga isn’t about how deep you can lunge, or how far you can bend backwards, it’s about being able to breathe in the postures, not holding your breathe and hoping for the best.

Fitness

Testing Out: Barry’s Bootcamp

Posted on March 24, 2017

Hailed as ‘the best bootcamp in the world’ (self-proclaimed of course) it’s going to raise some eyebrows. I’d personally not heard of the HIIT phenom that’s a London institution before it came to Dubai, but i was eager to check it out. Barry’s is a fusion class that combines a signature style of cardio which is all treadmill based and strength workouts which are floor based. It’s said to help burn up to 1,000 calories in just one hour, although you’ll have to work extra hard to accomplish that.

Barry’s is a great way to de-stress, burn off your lunch and generally get the heart pumping, with loud music, enthusiastic instructors and of course, plenty of muscle bound inspiration in the room too. I work out much better when i’m positioned in between other enthusiasts due to my slightly competitive nature ;).

The lights go out and a single instructor will guide a room of up to approx 50 gym-goers on two separate workouts, with half the room on the floor for 15 mins and the other half on the treadmill, swapping to ensure you’re keeping your heart rate up all the way through the class. It can get loud in there, but I found that the ear plugs at the door helped block out any distractions and allowed me to concentrate on my own workout better.

Barry’s pushed me but without me hating it half way through… granted I could have pushed a little bit harder on the treadmill (i’m not a runner), it was a happy sweat and a pat on the back rather than a shoulder strain and physical exhaustion that other bootcamps have had… the protein shake waiting for me on exit helped too!

Fitness

Testing Out: Booty Barre

Posted on March 17, 2017

Because… why not have a bit of fun when you’re at the barre? Motion Fitness in Jumeirah has a great new class that’ll get you moving, without feeling like you’re under too much strain. By no means does this mean it’s an easy class though, don’t get me wrong… there’s muscles in your legs you never knew existed, even if you work out regularly.

Bootybarre is a fun, energetic, workout that fuses a variety of stretching, balancing and power techniques from dance, pilates and of course yoga that are said to tone and define the whole body. It’s a combination of strength and flexibility with an added cardiovascular element too. Your muscles will see minute but targeted activity with added resistance using the barre, weights, bands and the exercise balls too.

Fitness

Testing Out: SUP Yoga

Posted on March 7, 2017

Now I think of myself as a fairly fit person, with relatively good balance, but all of that went out the window when I was asked to Vinyasa flow through a downward dog on a moving SUP, out on JBR’s early waves. What a great workout!

SUP Yoga is one of those awesome classes where you feel challenged but don’t quite realise just how much your core is working to help keep you upright (dry) until the next day’s ‘doms’. A total mixture of yoga and pilates (yogalates if you prefer) this class is a fantastic way to wake up your weekend.

Situated off the shoreline of the Doubletree Hilton in JBR, the class is run by their in-house centre Watercooled, where dancer Sophie will take you through a tailored program under the early sunshine. The idea is not to fall in, but I did and in all honesty it wasn’t that bad… bring a towel with you just in case, but on the SUP during the class, all you’ll need is some sunscreen and sunglasses.

From some strengthening V-sits to shoulder testing side planks, the toughest part of your workout here is to remain on the board itself. Never before have I been so aware of staying ‘grounded’ throughout my practice, which of course is totally ironic as we’re floating around on inflatable boards.

Fitness

Testing Out: Aqua Biking

Posted on February 24, 2017

Ok so I have to admit, I thought this was going to be a bit like aqua-aerobics, you know, where your gran would go to the local community pool for a ‘workout’… I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is L’Atelier Aqua Biking a resistance training class, it’s also a great way to workout if you’ve got an injury. There’s 4 positions on the bike to master, as well as an off-bike section thrown in to keep you moving.

What exactly is it? Described as a mix of circuits and spinning, L’Atelier has specially designed bikes that live in the water itself. It’s not going to be an easy swim where you can keep your hair dry too, the water goes up to your chest and you get 45 mins of legs, arms and core all underwater, with LOTS of splashing about. Feeling strong? Added weights at the side will help increase the resistance, but trust me, as a first timer, it wasn’t a walk in the park.

Not only is it a fun way to workout, it’s an effective form of hydromassage, that is said to help flatten out cellulite. You’ll get less water retention with this workout and thanks to the water’s buoyancy, you’ll be supported by 50% of your body weight, so if you’re injured or over-stretched, this will reduce the risk of further injury.

It’s cold when you first get in… but after the warm up, you’ll be glad your body temperature is controlled by some cooler water. If you’re feeling particularly fit, try the more intense training or HIIT classes too where you’ll be subjected to an underwater trampoline exercise!

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